The projects

EUROMEDIATOON - VIVA CARTHAGO

Animation series

The Viva Carthago project, which was granted 3.98 million euros by the European Commission, is a co-production of 26 cartoon episodes about the legendary characters who dominated Mediterranean history.

« Séfrou, a wise old man from Carthago, is faced to the collapse of his capital due to the assaults of the Romans. He then wishes to transmit the history of its civilisation and men who influenced it to future generations. The ship named Carthago and its crew will navigate through the Mediterranean and explore its cultures and peoples. »

In the last ten years, Europe saw the birth of a real animation industry combining quality with quantity. The Southern Mediterranean countries are far below Europe: only a few experiments have existed without any real impact and diffusion. As for the demand, it is very high on both shores of the Mediterranean. The television multiplication, the new ways of broadcasting (terrestrial TV, satellite TV, cable TV, digital package, etc.) in the North as well as in the South, makes the demand very high regarding cartoons. One of Viva Carthago’s aims was to work according to this logic and to meet a considerable demand, while stressing the South’s sensitivity combined with a more and more efficient European technique. Thanks to this series, the southern creators have had the opportunity to tell stories according to their own approaches and therefore according to a point of view much different from the official versions which are often reductive.

The series has been co-produced by European and Mediterranean production companies from eight different countries. A considerable chapter of the project was aimed at training Southern professionals: scriptwriters, story boarders, layout artists, presenters, graphics designers… The training course was supervised by professionals and European animation studios. While working on the production of cartoons, the project enabled the creation of the first animation studio in the region able to work as a sub-contractor for European animation studios. The creation of an animation studio in Tunis emphasizes the international division of work. In Europe, only the pre-production is conceived in European animation studios. Generally speaking, the so-called animation is sub-contracted in Asia. The Tunis studio provides a valid alternative to European studios whishing to sub-contract some steps of the production process: animation, colouring, story board, composition. 50 Mediterranean professionals are now working in Tunis, able to conceive, create and animate cartoons. Thanks to Viva Carthago, a Mediterranean animation industry has been created. The studio will be able to work with European professionals as well as create its own series dedicated to the Mediterranean young public.